System



(No Model.)

' E. F. GAVIN. l ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM. No. 544,034. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

4the letter-forms.

VUNITFD STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. eAvrN, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,034, dated August 6, 1895. Appnoano nea september 28,1894. sain No. 524,384. un model To all whom TJ may con/cern:

-Be it known thatv I, EDWARD F. GAVIN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically- Illuminated Signs and the Like, of which the following is a specication'.

This invention relates to illuminated advertising-signs, and more especially to that class of such signs in which the illumination is secured by means of incandescent electric lamps, and wherein each letter or character consists of a frame or letter-form of proper shape and a plurality of lamps disposed along the saine in a manner to form illuminated lines or masses corresponding in shape with The object of the invention is to produce an illuminated sign which is durable in character, capable of withstanding rain and moisture when used out of doors, and which shall be cheap to manufacture and economical in use.

The invention consists in the matter hereafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a view in front elevation of a single letter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side or edge .view thereof. Fig. 3V is an enlarged section through one of the lamp-sockets and its attaching devices. Fig. 4 is a detail face view of the socket-holding device on the letterform. Fig. 5 is a detail face view of the end of the socket which engages the said socketholding device. Fig. 6 is a detail rear View of a part of the letter-form, showing the arrangement of wires thereon.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates a letter-form or frame made in the shape of a letter; B B, Velectric incandescent lamps or lamp-bulbs, and C C s ckets for the saine.; The lamp-sockets C C are attached at their open ends to the letter-form, so as to .project from the reverse or rear face of said letterform,while the lamp-bulbs are located at the front face of the form, which latter is provided with holes or apertures a a opposite the sockets,through which holes the stems of the lamp-bulbs are inserted, this construction bringing the body of the' bulb or the carbon filament thereof close to the face of -the letter-form.

The letter-form A is adapted for attachmeut with other similar letter-forms to the supporting-framework or sign-body in the same manner as in similar signs heretofore made.

The attachment of the letter-forms to the sign-body may bei' eected in any desired manner, and as the construction of the signbody. constitu-tes no part of the present invention it is not herein described nor shown. The said letter-forms may be made of any desired material; but to secure cheapness and economy of construction I prefer to make them of wood and of uniform thickness throughout. The wooden forms may be readily constructed byjoning fiat strips or boards; but they may be constructed in any manner desired. The wooden forms I prefer to paint or cover with a waterproof or a' water and lireproof composition such as is used for insulating purposes.

The lamp-sockets C C are in their main features similar to those heretofore used in incandescent-electric lighting to receive and hold the glass bulb or lamp proper, said sockets consisting generally of cylindric bodies closed at one end and provided with separate vinterior contact-pieces adaptedfor contact with similar contact-pieces on the'bulb when the latter is inserted in the socket. Said sockets differ, however, from those heretofore used for illuminated signs in being adapted for detachable connection with the letter-form instead of being permanentlysecured thereto. To provide for such detachable connection, fastening means are employed whereby the socket may be readily attached to and detached from the letter-form, and the said letter-form is provided with contact-pieces in electric connection with supply and return wires trained along and secured to the letterform,.which contact-pieces are adapted to make contact with other similar contact'- pieces on the outer or open ends of the sockets when the latter are secured in placeon the form. The lamp-sockets are thus made IOO entirely detachable from the letter-form with-' rial, which is secured directly to the letterform, so as to surround the hole a, therein,

and which serves to immediately engage and support the socket. Said ring D has attached to it the contact-pieces E F, through the medium of which the current is transmitted to the socket and lamp. The socket C is adapted to fit within the ring D and is provided with contact-pieces G H, located in such position relatively to the contact-pieces vE and F that those on the socket will come opposite those on the ring when the socket is inserted in the ring. The contact-pieces E and F on the ring are connected with the supply and return wires I and J of the letter-form, the terminals j of such wires being led from the body of the material composing the ringin the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3. Similarly the contact-pieces G and H of the socket are connected with a screw-threaded tube c and plug c', which form the interior contact-pieces d.of the socket by means of connecting-wires g 7i, extending through the insulating material of the socket. The socket illustrated consists of a single mass of insulating material,

` such as hard rubber or a combination of mica and shellac, in which the several contactpieces c, c', G, and H are embedded. Similarly the ring D preferably consists of a single mass of insulating material having embedded in its side wall the contact-pieces E and F.

I prefer to construct the contact-pieces E and F of the ring D and G and H of the socket C in such manner that they may be interlocked with each other, and thus constitute the fastening device for holding the socket in place within the ring as well as contact-pieces for making electric connection between the lamp and wires. For the purpose stated, these parts are constructed as follows: The inner surface of said ring D, within which the end of the socket. is adapted to lit, is cylindric, as indicated at d, Figs. 3 and 4, and the contact-pieces E and F are made segmental in form and are secured in said cylindric surface at opposite sides of the ring. The socket C is provided with an eX- terior cylindric surface c2 corresponding with the surface (l, and the contact-pieces G H thereof are similarly made of segmental Shape and attached to said cylindric surface at opposite points on the same. The several contact-pieces E F and G H are provided with intel-fitting ribs or projections, which are inclined so as to form partial screw` threads, the contact-pieces beingmade of length less than a quarter of the circumference of the ring, so that when the contactpieces of the socket are placed opposite the spaces between the contact-pieces of the ring the socket may be thrust into the ring, and thereafter turned to bring the ribs or screwthreads of the two sets of contact-pieces into engagement with each other. The ribbed or screw-threaded contact-pieces described may most conveniently be made of sheet-metal bent or stamped into corrugated form, as heretofore, and may be secured to the insulating material of the socket-ring by means of integral projections, which are indicated by dotted lines at the ends of the contactpieces in Figs. 4 and 5.

In order to prevent access of water or moisture to the contact-pieces, I provide opposing surfaces or shoulders on the ring and socket at either side of the contact-pieces, and between said opposing surfaces or shoulders l place packing-rings K L of rubber or other suitable material. In the particular construction herein shown the packing-ring K is 1ocated between afiange c2 on the socket and the outer face of the ring D, while the packing-ring L is located between an inwardlyprojecting flange d on the ring D and the end surface of the socket.

The ring D is shown as seated in an annu- 0, by any suitable form of fastening device,

and in cases where it is preferred to have the rings readily detachable or removable a fastening device proper for the purpose, such as a turn-button, may be employed Ordinarily, however, attachment by means of screws inserted through the ring and into the body of the letter-form will be sufficient. In order to provide a suitable place for the insertion of holding-screws, and also to permit the passage of the wires from the ring at points outf side of the socket, I provide the said ring, at its inner side, with a flange projection d, which fits within a secondary rabbet a2 in the letter-form. In the construction illustrated, ordinary wood-screws d3 d?, Fig. 4, inserted through the flange cl2 and into the wood beneath said fiange, serve to secure the ring in place within the rabbet.

I prefer to make the opening ain the letterform smaller than the interior opening of the ring D and large enough only to admit the passage of the bulb-stem, this construction being employed to avoid the presence of an opening around the lamp, which would give an unsightly appearance to the letter, especially where the same is painted of a white IOC color or some light color in order to reflect the light and to improve the appearance of the sign.

Between the several rings D D the wires I and J will be stretched along the surface of the letter-form andpproperly secured to the same. The wires between adjacent rings will be made only long enough to allow the rings to be easily handled in fastening them to the form, so that there will be practically no surplus wire and no waste. The wire being fastened against the letter-form between the rings, the rear surface of the letter will present a practically smooth and uniform appearance, thereby avoiding the presence of unsightly loops or coils of wire at the rear surface of the letter-form.

In the manufacture of letter-forms constructed as described the forms will usually be made and the rings and Wires attached thereto by the manufacturer, so that the frame properly wired will be in readiness to be secured in place as part of the sign, while the lamps and lamp-sockets will be supplied in suitable quantities as needed for use. In order, therefore, to be able to supply any needed words or characters, it will be necessary for the manufacturer or dealer in such signs to carry in stock or have on hand enough lamps and. sockets only to supply the letter-forms used in suchwords as may be called for, it being of course necessary to keep on hand full sets of letter-forms in order to be able to supply any word or words needed. Considerable economy in the cost of sockets required for carrying on business, especially where the letters are not sold, but leased for use, is thus secured, the sockets being the most expensive parts required for the signs.

In the case of signs in which the lamp-sockets are permanently attached to the letterforms, as heretofore made, and in which the supply and return wires extend from socket to socket and are permanently connected with the sockets, the letter-forms, sockets, and

wires necessarily constitute integral and permanent structures. With the use of such devices, therefore, a complete set of letters must be made for each sign called for, and in case one person desires to be prepared to furnish signs either by sale or rental he must keep on hand a complete set of letters, corresponding with a font of type, from which letters to form any desired word may be selected. This necessarily involves the investment of a large amount of capital, a considerable part of which is employed to supply the needed sockets for all the letters. In a sign embodying my improvements, in which the lamp-sockets are .made detachable from the letter-forms, the

number of sockets necessary to be kept on hand under the circumstances stated need be equal only to the number required for supplying the letter-forms which at any one time may be in actual use, while the cheaper parts-- namely, the letter-formsmmay be kept on hand in number and variety sufiicient to make any desired sign at a relatively smaller expense. This advantage is especially obvious in the case of theatrical signs, for the reason that these are commonly changed to correspond with the names of the plays placed on the boards. In the use of letters made as proposed by me theowner or. manager of the theater may have a set of letter-forms covering one or more alphabets, so that any desired name or title may be supplied therefrom; but he need have on hand a number of lamp-sockets and lamps sufficient only to supply a sign of the usual size.

In addition to the main features of construction hereinbefore referred to, bywhich the lamp-sockets are made detachable from the letter-forms, and the letter-forms and sockets are provided with contact-pieces, as described, some of the minor features of construction illustrated and hereinbefore set forth also constitute important parts of my invention.

While I have hereinbefore referred to the use of my improvements as applied to thel manufacture of signs only, it will be understood that they may be employed with equal advantage wherever it is desired to employ incandescent electric lamps in numbers for the purpose of ornamentation or display, as-` well as for illumination-as, for instance, in applying incandescent lamps for the decoration of buildings strips of any length and shape corresponding with the strips employed in making the letter-forms may obviously be used for supporting sockets and attaching devices in the same manner as hereinbefore set forth.

Important advantages are obtained by providing theletter-forms with holes for the bulbsteins and attaching to the rear face of the letter-forms lamp-sockets, which are closed at their rear ends in such manner as to project rearwardly from the said letter-forms, so that the bulb-stems extend through the letter-support and the bulbs are brought close to the outer surface of the sign, not only because the letter is by this construction given a bright, clean, and uniform appearance not possessed by signs in which the lamps extend their full length from the face of the lamp-support, but

IIO

also because the construction of the letter is greatly simplified by reason of the absence of any supporting devices for the sockets at the rear of the letter-form, while at the same time the conductors and sockets are protected froml moisture, and the structure as a whole is light in weight and may be easily and cheaply made.

I claim as my inventionv l. An illuminated sign or ornament, coinprising a letter-form or like -lamp support provided with a plurality of sets of insulated contact pieces, a plurality of lamp sockets detachably secured thereto, said lamp sockets being provided with insulated contact pieces for engagement with the contact pieces of the bulb stems, and also with contact pieces for engagement with the insulated contact pieces on the lamp support, and conducting wires extending along the lamp support and permanently connected with the said insulated contact pieces ou said support, substantially as described.

2. An illuminated sign or ornament comprising a letter-form or like lamp support, provided with insulated contact pieces, a plurality of lamp sockets detachably connected with the lamp support and provided with contact pieces for engagement with the contact pieces on the bulb stems, and also with contact pieces for engagement with the contact pieces on the lamp support, and conducting wires extending along and secured to the rear face of the lamp support, said wires being permanently connected with the insulated contact pieces on said lamp support, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a letter form or other lamp-support adapted to hold a pluralityT of lamps, thelsame being provided with a plurality of holes for the bulb-stems, of lamp sockets which are closed at their rear ends to exclude moisture and are sustained by attachment at their front or open ends to the lamp-support, said sockets being located at the rear face of the same, opposite said holes and projecting rearwardly from the lamp-support, so as to bring the lamp-bulbs near the front face thereof, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a letter form or other lamp-support adapted to hold a plurality of lamps, the same being provided with a plurality of holes for the bulb-stems, of lampsockets which are closed at their rear ends to exclude moisture and are sustained by attachment at their front or open ends to the lampsupport, said sockets being located at the rear face of the same opposite said holes and projecting rearwardly from the lamp support, and conducting wires extending along the rear-face of the support and connected with the contact pieces of the sockets, substan` tially as described.

5. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support provided with holes for the bulb-stems, sockets detachabl y secured to the lamp-support and projecting from the rear face thereof, and insulated contact pieces on the lamp-support and sockets adapted for engagement with each other when the sockets are secured to the lamp-support, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support, provided with holes for the bulb-stems of rings of insulating material attached to the lamp-support sockets having detachable connection with said rings, and contact pieces on the rings and sockets, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support, provided with holes for the bulb-stems of lamp-sockets and rings ot insulating material attached to the lamp-support, said rings and the sockets being provided with interlocking parts and with contact pieces, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support provided with holes for the bulb-stems, of rings of insulating material attached to the lampi-support, lamp-sockets having detachable connection with the rings, contact pieces on the rings and sockets and conducting Wires extending along the rear surface o't the lamp-support and connected withthe contact pieces of the rings substantially as described.

9. The combination with aletter form or other lamp-support provided with holes for the bulb-stems of rings of insulating material attached to the lam p-su pport sockets detachably secured to the rings, contact pieces on the ringsand sockets and wires extending along the rear surface of the lamp-support and passing through the insulating material ofthe rings to the contact pieces thereon, substantially as described.

lO. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support provided with holes for the bulb-stems, of rings of insulating material attached to the lamp-support, sockets adapted to engage the said rings, and metal contact pieces on the rings and sockets, provided with interlocking parts for holding the sockets in engagement with the rings, substantially as described.

l1. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support, provided with holes for the bulb-stems, of lamp-sockets detachably secured to the said lamp -support, contact pieces on the lamp-support and sockets, and means for packing the joints between opposing surfaces ofthe socket and lamp-support at either side ot` the contact pieces to exclude moisture from the same, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support, of a ring of insulating material secured to the lamp-support, a lampsocket detachably engaged with the said ring, contact pieces on the socket and ring, and means for packing the joints between opposing surfaces of the ring and socket at either side of the contact pieces to exclude moisture from the said contact pieces, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a letter form or other lamp-support provided with holes for the bulb-stems, rings of insulating material seated in rabbets surrounding the holes, sockets detachably secured to the rings, and contact pieces on the rings and sockets, substantially as described.

14. The combination with an apertured letter form or other lamp-support, of a ring of provided with inclined ribs or screw threads adapted to be interlocked by rotary motion of the socket, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I havesigned my naine, in pres- 15 ence of two witnesses, this 2lst day of September, 1891.

EDI/VARD F. GAVIN.

Witnesses:

EDWIN D. MINER, C. CLARENCE POOLE. 

